A Tarnished Mirror's Reflection
by Bat the Wood Elf
Summary: AU - Having gotten rid of Voldemort and living with his godfather, Harry wasn’t expecting to be lured by his reflection to a world where Voldemort is still alive, and Harry Potter is his minion.
1. Paradox

Title: A Tarnished Mirror's Reflection

Author: Bat

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be writing this, I'd be too busy rolling in my money.

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_Chapter 1- Paradox _

Harry was surrounded by darkness. The sound of his footfalls echoed off the stone floors, as he aimlessly searched for something, gliding through the dark.  
  
What was he searching for, he wondered. What was calling to him?  
  
In the tenebrous dream, he thought he saw a gleam of light. He reached out towards it...  
  
And encountered the hard, smooth, surface of a mirror.  
  
His hand slid back down to his side, but he stared at the mirror, his mind slowly registering what he was seeing. Instead of his own reflection, it was that of a hooded Death Eater. Harry starred in morbid fascination as the Death Eater lowered the hood of his black robes to reveal his own green eyes.  
  
Harry was face to face with himself.  
  
Surprised, Harry moved back, but the ground crumbled beneath his feet, and the only thing he remembered before waking up, was falling into the abyss. Startled, his eyes snapped open and starred at the wall of his room. His eyes slowly focused, and his thoughts became less hazy. With only the recollection of falling, Harry didn't think it was worth waking Sirius up for, so he sank back into his pillow. After all, it could have been simply an ordinary dream.

* * *

"I thought it would be best to call you here Harry, due to your background as an auror. As you are well aware, I do not doubt the capabilities of my staff, however, it is always wise to request the help of others, is it not?" Professor Dumbledore smiled mildly, leading Harry and Sirius down a corridor.  
  
"If it's really dangerous, you should leave Snape alone to deal with it." Sirius grumbled. His black hair looked particularly mussed, and the buttons on his robes weren't done up properly.  
  
"No one asked you to come Sirius, you could have slept in." Harry pointed out to his dishevelled guardian.  
  
"And miss a chance to see my godson in action? Surely you must be joking!" Sirius replied, insulted.  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow, but knew better then to believe his godfather's excuse. His eagerness to come along was probably due to the fact that he wanted to see Remus, or use the opportunity to prank Snape. 'Snivellus needs to be kept on his toes,' his godfather had once snickered.  
  
"Here we are." The Headmaster smiled as he opened a door. "We thought a few alarm spells would be in order, but so far there has been no sign of magical activity. Filius was unable to determine the nature of the charms on this object, and Minerva assures me that the object has not been transfigured, that it is indeed, quite simply, a mirror."  
  
Sirius and Harry stepped into the room and glanced at the full-length mirror. Harry felt a twinge of familiarity, but ignored it, shrugging it off as a recollection of the mirror of Erised.  
  
"So it was found at which of Voldemort's former hideouts?" Sirius asked.  
  
"This particular item was found in Riddle Manor, though from where originated before falling into Voldemort's possession is unknown by all." Professor Dumbledore murmured.  
  
"I'm assuming that the Ministry found it first, since they were the ones searching the house. So how did you come about it Headmaster?" Harry asked as he performed a series of dark magic detection spells.  
  
"Ah! Though I would very much like to boast of my influence on the Ministry, you and I know very well that that is not the case." Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly. "To tell you the truth my dear boy, a member of the Order working at the Ministry noticed this mirror in the trash and had the presence of mind to realise that this is not simply a muggle mirror."  
  
Harry nodded, "I'd like to meet the muggle who would carve the crest of Slytherin into the frame of a mirror." He ran his finger along the carving of a snake on the top corner of the frame. "I can't detect any traces dark magic on this mirror. In fact, I can't sense any magic on it at all."  
  
"Yes, yes! Which is why the Ministry decided to discard it, believing it was simply a muggle looking glass. However, you know from experience Harry, that things which may appear harmless are often times the most dangerous."  
  
Harry nodded absentmindedly.  
  
"Perhaps," Professor Dumbledore started, "due to your unique talent, you may be able to uncover secrets that are kept hidden to those of us who do not understand."  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow at this. The Headmaster was obviously referring to his status as the only living parcelmouth. Deciding it was worth attempting, Harry faced the mirror and concentrated on speaking to the snakes.  
  
"_Reveal yourself to me_." He hissed.  
  
Silence weighed heavily on the room. The mirror remained static.  
  
Harry sighed and turned to leave the room. Unbeknownst to any of the room's occupants, the mirror's silvery surface had become cloudy.  
  
"I'll start by reading whatever information the staff has come up with, as well as writing a list of possible phrases or incantations I could say in parcelmouth."  
  
_"Come..."  
_  
"But for now," Harry continued, unaware of the soft hissing, "we should get some sleep. We will start our research in the morning, but I'll ask professor Snape if he has any information that may be useful before going to bed."  
  
The Headmaster nodded. "Indeed. I must inform others of the recent events. And perhaps take some tea. The Headmaster of a prestigious wizarding school in China was kind enough to send me a rather curious type of tea. It came in a variety of flavours such as fruits or nuts and is bubbly! Quite honestly, I cannot think of a suitable gift to send back. Would you have any ideas?"  
  
Harry and Sirius stared at the old man dumbly. Harry was the first to react. "Sorry Headmaster, we have no ideas."  
  
"A shame. It is always so difficult to impress the heads of other magical institutions. Perhaps one of the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes' newest concoctions will have to do." Muttering to himself, Professor Dumbledore retreated to his office.  
  
"Crazy old coot." Sirius muttered, ruffling his hair.  
  
Harry said nothing, but gave a small smile. Despite all that had happened, the Headmaster retained his eccentricity. He would never dream of a place where Albus Dumbledore wasn't an eccentric old man.  
  
Harry and Sirius left to go to the dungeons, unaware that the milky surface of the mirror was becoming darker.  
  
_"Come to us."_

__

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_  
Hey there peeps! I've always wanted to do an alternate dimension fic, but it there's one thing I hate it's when I finish reading a fic and I think, "I have the most nagging sense of deja-vu. I must have read at least 3 fics with the same plotline." That's why original fics are so appreciated in the Potterverse. I just hope I'm not adding to the monotony!

Review!


	2. Distorted Image

Thanks goes to my three reviewers and my wonderful beta Momo-chan, who notices everything that my sleep deprived mind doesn't.

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_Chapter 2- Distorted Image  
_  
It took no small amount of persuasion to get Snape to lend them his books, as well as give them leads to where some of Salazar Slytherin's private texts were to be found. Professor Snape's hatred for Harry had lessened over the years due to how closely together they had worked to bring about Voldemort's demise, but that didn't mean that Snape wouldn't occasionally make his life difficult. Thus, despite Snape's attempt to be civil, the Potion Master's snarkiness remained undiluted.  
  
"I have told you all I know, now leave Mr. Potter. Obviously the training as an auror has done nothing to diminish the size of your head if you believe that you can be more thorough then the Hogwarts staff." Professor Snape sneered.  
  
Harry sighed, "It has nothing to do with thoroughness Professor Snape. I don't doubt your abilities, but if I can be of any help, I'll try my best. Thank you for lending me your texts, I better return to the tower."  
  
"Yes, you better return before Black decides to come fetch you like the mutt he is." Snape replied, but his words held no edge.  
  
Harry smiled. On his way out of Snape's rooms, Harry passed by a small mirror hanging on the wall. He froze for a moment and swayed slightly. Snape frowned at this.  
  
"Potter?"  
  
Without further warning, Harry collapsed to the floor. Snape rushed to the fallen man and turned him over, wavering slightly when he saw Harry's eyes. They were frozen open, staring dully into space.  
  
"What is wrong with you Potter?" Snape asked, his expression darkening when he received not even a blink as a response. Swiftly, he stalked over to the fireplace and threw in some floo powder.  
  
"Headmaster's office!" he called out.  
  
"What can I do for you Severus?" The headmaster asked from the fireplace.  
  
"Mr. Potter seems to have chosen this moment to grace me with a fainting spell. I shall bring him immediately to the hospital wing."  
  
"That is most unusual. I will join you shortly." With that, the connection was broken.  
  
Snape cast a levitating charm on the Boy Who Lived and headed towards the hospital wing. The portraits were all murmuring, pointing at Harry's floating body and vacant expression. Severus Snape frowned, knowing very well that Harry wasn't one to faint. Furthermore, aurors weren't known to faint. Snape pushed the thought of teasing Potter about it aside. No one knew what was wrong with the boy yet, thus he couldn't be certain that the boy would recover. Also, he had to take in to consideration the fact that Black would surely assume that this was his fault and try to kill him. Not that this was anything new.  
  
From the mirrors, a dark shadow hissed softly at them.  
  
_"Come to us. Arise and join me."_  
  
Harry's vacant eyes were turned to the direction of the soft voice.  
  
_"Come and join me... We are the same, you and I."_  
  
Snape snapped his head to Harry's direction when he felt his levitation charm being thrown off. He watched in shock as Harry stood up and opened his mouth, the only sound escaping it a soft hiss.  
  
_"I answer your call."_  
  
Harry started to walk past Snape, who had his wand warily pointing towards Harry.  
  
"What do you think you are doing Potter?" Snape asked him, but it fell on deaf ears. Harry continued to walk, showing no sign of having heard. Snape quickly analysed his surroundings and noticed a darkened mirror. He destroyed it with a shattering spell, but it had no effect. An outside force was still controlling Harry Potter's motions.  
  
"_Impedimenta_!" Snape cried out. But Harry simply turned around, lifted his hand and repelled the jinx with a shielding charm.  
  
"Wandless magic." Snape murmured to himself, his face impassive. Potter was always full of surprises.  
  
Some of the paintings, instead of sitting back and watching the action, had decided to go get the Headmaster as well as Sirius. The paintings quickly led them to where Snape was still throwing curses at Harry and Harry was throwing them off without using his wand.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing to my godson?" Sirius cried out. Ready to tackle Snape, but the Headmaster swiftly blocked his path.  
  
"What seems to be the problem Severus?" Albus Dumbledore asked calmly.  
  
"Potter collapsed in my private chambers, I believe, after looking at a mirror. I cast a levitating charm on him to bring him to the hospital wing, which he threw off. He spoke something in parseltongue and has since been waving my curses off as though they were flies. There seems to be no way to slow him down." Snape answered.  
  
"Most curious." Dumbledore murmured, then turned to Harry. "Come my dear boy, you must get some sleep. It is not healthy to be possessed."  
  
There was no response, however Dumbledore frowned when he heard unintelligible hissing.  
  
_"You can help me. So please come to us."_  
  
Harry opened the door to where Voldemort's mirror was being kept. Everyone's eyes widened when they looked at the Slytherin mirror. Within its depths they could see a hooded figure.  
  
Harry placed his palm on the surface of the mirror and the surface rippled as though he were touching water. And then disappeared. Harry was slowly walking through the mirror, to the horror of all who were watching.  
  
Sirius pushed aside Dumbledore and Snape who had been trying to block him and grabbed on to Harry's robes.  
  
"Harry, you have to snap out of it! Wake up!" Sirius cried out, trying to pull him back.  
  
Harry mindlessly pushed Sirius away, and Sirius landed on his rear. Sirius let out a dog-like snarl, quickly getting up and lunged at Harry's midsection effectively following him through the mirror.  
  
Dumbledore watched darkly was the mirror's ripples began to harden.  
  
"Typical Gryffindor stupidity!" Snape snarled. "He doesn't even know what that thing was and he blindly follows Potter!"  
  
"Perhaps it is better that he did. I somehow feel reassured that Harry isn't facing this alone." Dumbledore replied.  
  
Snape eyes snapped up to look at Dumbledore. "Do you know what is going on Headmaster?"  
  
Dumbledore sadly shook his head. "I'm afraid I know precious little. However, I do know that what was controlling Harry was a summoning incantation. A powerful one, since as you know, Harry can easily throw off the Imperius curse."  
  
"I have never heard of such a summoning spell, unless it is similar to the Dark Mark."  
  
"It is." Dumbledore conceded. "And it isn't. This particular spell can only summon someone who has the same soul as the caster."  
  
Snape frowned. "That is pointless. Everyone's soul is different. The caster will never be able to summon another human being."  
  
Nodding, Dumbledore frowned. "Yes. But this works even if the victim has a small part of the summoner's soul."  
  
"So it was Voldemort that summoned him?" Snape asked incredulously.  
  
"I'm afraid not. For the summoning to be this powerful, the only person the caster could possibly be is Harry Potter himself."

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Dun dun duuuun! Good, bad, or ugly? 


	3. Rogue's Gallery

Somehow I'm sensing that my chapters should be longer. It's just a hunch. (Sidesteps reviewers throwing projectiles at her head)  
  
It's true though, I never look at stories as short as mine tend to be. Hehe... .; I tried to make this chapter longer but also less choppy, like I know my other two were. I realise that it's hard to get into the action when chapters are only about a thousand words, so I'll try to make each chapter at least three thousand from now on. I'm sure my Beta, Momo-chan, will keep me in line if I revert to former tendencies. I also tried to add more description, though it was almost physically painful for me, because I hate reading descriptions. I'll skip over them and go strait to the dialogue when I'm reading a fic. But thank you all for your advice; I'll follow it to the letter!  
  
A/N: A rogue's gallery is a collection of photographs of known criminals. I'm greatly enjoying my Death Eaters... but that's only because they've replaced my scientists...

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Chapter 3- Rogue's Gallery  
  
Harry felt like he was waking up from a deep sleep. His eyelids weighed a ton and his head ached in protest when he sat up. He rubbed a temple in a slow circular motion, willing his head to stop pounding.  
  
"So you have finally woken up." A masked Death Eater murmured. _Stunning observation,_ Harry thought to himself. There was a crumpled form next to Harry that could only be identified as Sirius. There was no mistaking his godfather's midnight black hair and robes. Harry glanced up, taking in his surroundings. To his complete lack of surprise, he saw that they were both in a cell. Harry didn't think it was a dungeon since the boarded up window let wisps of light stream through, which would have been unlikely if they were underground. There was also the faint smell of seawater and the sound of crashing waves.  
  
But what Harry paid the most attention to was his jailor, who was only separated from them by iron bars. Even though the Death Eater was sitting down, he looked too short to be a grown man.  
  
"You didn't come alone." The Death Eater stated, but Harry thought he heard a hint of accusation. Harry debated between keeping his mouth shut and questioning his jailor. Harry's mouth opened and closed several times before curiosity prevailed.  
  
"Where are we? How did you get us here?"  
  
"You are being held in the tallest tower of the Dark Lord's headquarters. I wouldn't contemplate escaping, as there is no way to get out, other then this door. And as for how you got here... it is because we are the same, you and I." The Death Eater replied calmly, standing up from his chair and touching the wooden door with what Harry suspected was a smirk behind that mask.  
  
"Voldemort is dead, and I can assure you, we're nothing alike because I would never sell my soul to that devil." Harry spat out.  
  
The Death Eater simply remained silent, as though Harry wasn't worth arguing with. Harry couldn't imagine another reason for the silence. Most Death Eaters would jump at that opening to start raving about revenge.  
  
Harry frowned and glanced quickly at Sirius, who had let out a soft groan.  
  
"Sirius, wake up." Harry muttered, his eyes watching the robed figure's movements carefully. Nothing about this Death Eater seemed very threatening. Harry knew from experience that if he were planning on torturing them, he would have done so already. However, the strangely silent figure hadn't so much as whispered a Crucio, which in itself was disturbingly un-Death Eater-like. Harry's instincts were screaming that there was something terribly wrong with that.  
  
"Sirius Black?" The figure asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity.  
  
Harry was about to give a sharp retort when the wooden door swung open and another Death Eater entered the room. This one, however, wasn't wearing the standard white Death Eater mask, and Harry froze when he saw whom it was.  
  
"Avery? But that's impossible, you were killed years ago!" Harry cried out in confusion.  
  
Avery just chuckled. "That's a riot coming from you Potter, you're the one that's dead. But, as you can see, our Lord is a miracle worker."  
  
"He was your Lord, not mine Avery! And the only miracle he performed was getting a bunch of idiots to join him!" Harry snarled out.  
  
"You'll regret that very soon Potter. You'll be crying out for mercy, just like your parents did!" Avery sneered.  
  
Sirius, by now, was semi-conscious because of the yelling. Rubbing his head, his thoughts slowly lost their haziness.  
  
"Harry, are you alright?" Sirius asked worriedly.  
  
Avery just rolled his eyes at the display of prisonerly affection and turned to the shorter Death Eater. "The Dark Lord wants you to come down for the ceremony."  
  
The masked Death Eater nodded. Avery turned to leave and gave a farewell sneer to Sirius and Harry.  
  
"I look forward to the chance to hear you scream again, muggle-loving scum! Sweet dreams!" With a final deranged laugh he was gone.  
  
Silence reigned for a few moments.  
  
Sirius harrumphed. "I look forward to the chance too. The chance to cut off your air supply, Death Eater scum."  
  
Harry muffled a chuckle, knowing well that the other Death Eater wouldn't appreciate it.  
  
The Death Eater strode closer to the bars. "You said that the Dark Lord is dead where you come from?"  
  
Harry frowned. "Look, I don't know what rock you've been hiding under, but I killed your Evil Overlord two years ago! Denial won't get you anywhere, so why don't you be a good minion and turn yourself over to the Ministry? There's a nice ward in St. Mungo's waiting for you."  
  
The Death Eater laughed mirthlessly. "You will soon see that I am in complete control of my mental faculties. However, I won't be the one to shatter your delusions quite yet. This world will make you thoroughly unhappy Harry Potter, if you survive long enough to see it!"  
  
With a sweeping movement of his robes, the Death Eater was gone, his footsteps echo echoing down the stairs.  
  
"Well that was pleasant." Sirius stated dryly. "Lets make sure to invite him over to tea next time. Death Eaters make such interesting conversationalists, especially when the topic is world domination."  
  
Harry snorted. "You do that Padfoot, and tell me how it went."  
  
"We ought to get out of here before the next shift comes up." Sirius said, ruffling through his pockets.  
  
With a raised eyebrow, Sirius held up his wand.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Voldemort came up with a 'No Magic Zone' trick a few months before his death, so our wands are probably harmless. That would certainly explain why they didn't curse us."  
  
Sirius frowned. "Are even your rings affected?"  
  
Harry shrugged and looked at the white, red, brown and blue rings he had on alternating fingers of both hands.  
  
During his seventh year Dumbledore had given him four rings that allowed him to perform some elemental magic. Although they were powerful and effective, they had a limited power supply. Once their energy had been depleted, Harry had to return them to their element. The water ring had to be submerged in water, the fire ring had to burn, the air ring had to be in contact with the wind, and the earth ring had to be buried. They were powerful, but Harry preferred to use them as a last resort. He kept up the pretence that he didn't really need them, but truthfully, it was because he was too lazy to be constantly recharging them.  
  
"Try a low level spell before I try them. We have to make sure our wands really don't work." Harry said, making sure that his wand was still in its holster.  
  
Sirius tried a _lumos_ spell, but not so much as a spark came out of the wand. Harry nodded and tried to summon a small flame, but nothing happened. Sirius let out a sigh and started picking the lock with a pin from one of his many pockets. Harry raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Death Eaters are normally all purebloods. They can't grasp the concept that a lock can be opened without magic." Sirius replied, as though he felt his godson's questioning gaze.  
  
"Fred and George are purebloods and they know how to pick a lock." Harry protested. "And so do you."  
  
"Yes, but we're blood-traitors, so that's different." Sirius replied. "Besides, it's so much easier to pull a prank if you know multiple breaking and entering techniques."  
  
"I'm beginning to think you were put in Azkaban because you're a common criminal." Sirius reached back and tried to swat him, but Harry moved out of the way, chuckling.  
  
"How far do you think that this 'No Magic Zone' extends?" Sirius asked when the bars swung open.  
  
"The 'No Magic Zone' is probably only this room, but it could be the whole tower." Harry replied, strolling over to the boarded window. Sirius followed and started working on the lock sealing the window.  
  
"How does the spell work?" Sirius continued. "Is it a spell that works like those muggle security systems where there's a motion detector in a corner and it takes care of all that it sees?"  
  
"No, it's more like an invisible box, that contains a certain area. That means that there's a chance that it extends outside also." Harry stated.  
  
"I guess we'll have to make sure we jump far enough." Sirius gave a lop-sided smile.  
  
Harry smiled back.  
  
The lock on the window clicked open after Sirius had fiddled around with it for a few moments and they took off the boards, coughing a bit because of the dust their actions caused.  
  
"Death Eaters sure know how to purchase their Real Estate." Sirius stated blandly, glancing down at the waves crashing into some sharp rocks below the tower.  
  
"At least we're pretty high up. But then with evil people, it's never half way. You never hear of partial world domination, or open-minded torture. Because of that, it always has to be the dankest dungeon, and the tallest tower."  
  
"Yes Harry, I know, I've read the manual on how to be evil." Sirius shot back. He just glanced down at the waves and sighed. "This seems a little too anti-climatic though."  
  
"You mean jumping out of a window and potentially falling to our death is anti-climatic?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well... yes."  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting Plan B?"  
  
Sirius snorted.  
  
"No, I'm suggesting Plan C. Get your plans strait you wannabe Marauder! Plan A is the stealthy escape, where no one knows we were ever there, used only in dire circumstances. Plan B is the devious one where some unsuspecting sap is pinned with the blame, and Plan C is the loud and proud approach." Sirius said, twirling his wand with his fingers.  
  
"It's also reckless, childish, arrogant, and a blatant show of force." Harry stated.  
  
Sirius gave a devious smile. "Plan C it is then."  
  
Harry chuckled, following Sirius who was already rushing down the winding stairs in barely repressed glee.  
  
There was no guard at the bottom of the tower either. Sirius whispered his hope that they were all dead. Harry replied that it was unlikely, unless they all choked at the same time during their maniacal laughing sessions.  
  
Their approach was silent. Sirius didn't even need to think about being quiet anymore; it was subconscious due to years of successful pranking. Harry, on the other hand, had learned to be silent due to his training. They both hid in the shadows when they heard two sets of footfalls down the hall.  
  
Harry strained to hear what they were saying.  
  
"...the way things are going now. When Malfoy was in the Inner Circle things made sense, to me at least. You killed, you plundered, you failed, and the Lord tortured you. Things used to be simple. Since Lucius has been 'taken care of', things have gotten weirder with the Dark Lord... he's seeing traitors everywhere." Death Eater Number One whined.  
  
"That's right. I would never question his Lordship, I'm sure that he had his reasons for killing a pureblood, but the 'Survivor' gives me the creeps. I think Malfoy was right about that kid." Death Eater Number Two answered.  
  
"Too true. You didn't hear it from me, but I think that the 'Survivor' is actually a zombie!" Death Eater Number One whispered. "With blue hair and bad teeth!"  
  
"You don't say!" Death Eater Number Two gasped. "That would explain why he's always wearing that stuffy mask."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes while Sirius watched the Death Eaters, slack-jawed.  
  
"Yes, and I've heard from a very reliable source that Harry Potter might not be dead!" DENO whispered conspiratorially.  
  
"Our Lord really is a miracle worker." DENT replied dreamily. Harry decided that this was the perfect moment for his entrance.  
  
"I can do a few tricks myself." Harry smirked, steeping out of the shadowy corner and watching patiently as the brains of Voldemort's minions attempted to process the information he was presenting them with.  
  
"Black hair, green eyes, dressed like an auror, looks like a Potter, is confronting us with every intention of causing us bodily harm..." DENO muttered, trying to piece together the puzzle.  
  
DENT's eyes widened. "He must be..."  
  
DENO and DENT took out their wands. "A zombie!"  
  
Harry stared at them incredulously, repressing the urge to scream, _No! No, I'm Harry Potter you idiots!_  
  
Instead, he smiled maliciously and started forming a fireball. He threw it at the Death Eaters, who jumped out of the way but couldn't avoid getting singed. While they were frantically trying to extinguish their robes, Sirius stepped out of the shadows, casting spells that caused large chunks of the surrounding area to explode in rapid succession. Sirius shot him a look that Harry a was certain meant 'You wasted energy on those two?' Harry shrugged and pulled out his wand, aiding Sirius in his crater making.  
  
Frenzied Death Eaters soon arrived on the premises to add to the confusion. Curses flew everywhere, but none of them were close to touching either Sirius or Harry. They cursed various Death Eaters, Sirius taunting them in a sing-song way while doing so.  
  
After punching a particularly rowdy Death Eater, Harry looked up to see a figure that he still saw in his nightmares. Gliding down the hall with the masked Death Eater at his side was Voldemort.  
  
Silence engulfed Harry. He knew he was still casting curses, and that he was still being attacked, but all he saw was Voldemort. Snake faced, enraged, and _alive_. He had to concentrate on breathing. After having sleepless nights, reliving the fight that ended that monster's existence, Harry had started dreaming that Voldemort was behind every corner. Every dark shadow was a Death Eater, every flash of green an unforgivable curse. It had taken Harry so long to accept that Voldemort was gone, that he had fulfilled the prophecy and he could _live_.  
  
And yet here was Voldemort, barking orders at his servants.  
  
Harry almost didn't hear Sirius yelling that it was their cue to escape. It was only while running up the tower stairs that Harry's stomach settled.  
  
Why was he worrying? He could kill Voldemort. He had done it before. He wasn't a child anymore, and after Voldemort's demise he had brought powerful Death Eaters to justice. He had spent years training as an auror and had excelled in his program. He might as well sit back and enjoy the show that he and Sirius were planning for their captors. With a grin slowly forming on his face, Harry ran up the steps with renewed vigour.  
  
Sirius, who has glanced back at his godson with a worried expression, was relieved when he saw Harry wink at him, all traces of fear gone. Sirius winked back as they entered the tallest tower's prisoner room.  
  
Behind Harry, all spells disappeared as though they were never cast, indicating that they were once again in the 'No Magic Zone'. There were several disgruntled cries from the Death Eaters when their spells disappeared when they hit the invisible barrier.  
  
Harry and Sirius kept running, using their momentum to propel them as they jumped from the open window, one after the other. Harry smirked when he heard even more dismayed cries over the sound of the rushing wind.  
  
Sirius, who was never one to pass up an opportunity to look cool, took out his wand and shot a spell towards the tallest tower, all while in a state of freefall.  
  
The Death Eaters tittered to themselves and laughingly mocked Sirius when the spell missed them and sailed over the tower... only to start panicking when the spell caused a laughing skull hologram to appear high in the sky.  
  
There were several cries of 'We're doomed!' and 'The ministry will find us!' and 'Oh Merlin, I left my socks downstairs! I'll never be able to escape now!'  
  
Sirius snickered, and turned to watch Harry slow down their fall using the ring that controlled air. Harry's arms were spread apart, his cloak whipping in the wind, and his eyes were closed in a look of intense concentration. Sirius could almost see the change in the air pressure that Harry's ring caused.  
  
'But it won't last', a little voice in the back of his mind whispered, 'Harry can only do this for a certain amount of time before the ring's power runs out.'  
  
So Sirius started searching through the many hidden pockets of his robes, knowing exactly where to look. Triumphantly, he took out a miniaturized broom and mounted it when it expanded. He shot out towards Harry, grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the broom. The broom gave a creak of protest at the extra load but otherwise functioned normally, if somewhat slowly. They grazed the surface of the water, and Sirius had to swerve to avoid one of the pointy rocks. The castle on the cliff, undoubtedly unplottable, was still invisible, but the laughing skull, which was now taunting some of the Death Eaters, let the hideout's precise location be known. Sirius wished he could be there when the Death Eaters heard the popping sound that apparating caused, indicating that ministry officials were preparing to swarm the place.  
  
Harry had a firm grip around Sirius' waist but leaned his head wearily against his godfather's back.  
  
"It's starting all over again." Harry whispered, the comment never reaching his godfather's ears due to the rushing wind. "I can't believe he's back."  
  
Neither of them could possibly have seen, in highest room, in the tallest tower of the castle on the cliff, Voldemort turning to the masked Death Eater that stood a respectful distance behind him.  
  
"You will find them." Voldemort hissed, clearly audible over the hysterics of Death Eaters pleading for mercy. "Harry Potter and Sirius Black. You will find them and kill Black, if necessary." He glanced at his masked slave with a shrewd look. "But be sure to bring Potter back to me. I have great plans for him."  
  
The masked Death Eater bowed and silently exited the room, walking calmly down the tower stairs, undeterred by the popping sound of ministry officials, apparating around the castle... 


End file.
